


The People's Hero

by AstraeasGalaxy



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Domestic, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:40:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26008159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstraeasGalaxy/pseuds/AstraeasGalaxy
Summary: They've been married for five years now, but Arashi could feel something shifting in their marriage.
Relationships: Morisawa Chiaki/Narukami Arashi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	The People's Hero

"I'm home!"

"Welcome home, honey," Arashi greeted Chiaki at the door with a peck on the lips. She watched him trudge himself toward the couch after getting out of his shoes and into his house slippers. He said nothing as he fell over face first into the soft decorative pillows Arashi bought that littered the couch. Chiaki always had something to say. Whatever happened at work must have been rough. Their conversations became shorter as of late, mainly due to Chiaki being too exhausted or always complaining about work. If she had to be honest with herself, Arashi stopped allowing the conversations to continue further. It was always work, always something he wanted to change, someone he wanted to help- it became repetitive and boring to her.

Reluctantly, Arashi asked him, "How was work?"

"Can you scratch my back, please?" Chiaki asked politely, his voice muffled by the pillows.

Arashi nudged him over, sitting herself on the couch. He plopped his head back down in her lap, a slightly awkward position, but nothing they weren't used to. She slowly scratched at his back in a small circle, a relaxing technique they always did for each other whenever they wanted to calm down or fall asleep. Arashi didn't bother repeating her question. If he didn't feel like talking, she wasn't going to force him to. Arashi stopped her hand, the other hand running through Chiaki's hair as she gently massaged his head. He muttered a soft thank you to her followed by a loud sigh.

"Chiaki-kun, always acting like the people's hero. When will the hero himself be saved, I wonder? He's not going to let something such as a day job overcome him, right?"

Work was always draining Chiaki of his usual energy. The company prided itself in helping improve the quality of life of their clients, yet they were so blind to their own employees' needs. Chiaki took it upon himself to try to advocate for his coworkers, working his way up to help change the company from within to not only improve their clients' lives, but their workers' lives as well. Granted, he helped bring about change in the workplace to help improve worker satisfaction of just being at work, Chiaki still felt there was so much more to do. The glaringly low retention rate was still the outcome of an existing problem. That was all Arashi remembered from months of his venting.

"I love you, and I love how much you donate your time to help others, but I want you to take care of yourself, Chiaki-kun. What would I do if I were to lose you?"

Chiaki would argue, "I'm doing it for them," whenever Arashi would try to urge him to not overwork himself. It wasn't only at his day job. He volunteered when he could. Where, Arashi couldn't pinpoint exactly. Some days he'd volunteer at a local shelter, other days Chiaki could be seen at the fire station or at charities. It got to the point that Arashi barely saw him on their days off together. Her own job was enough to exhaust her by the time the weekend hits. All she wanted to do was relax at home with her husband. They rarely ever fought, but lately, there have been mildly heated arguments about it.

"You can't help others if you can barely help yourself, you know. You can't give them your all when you've given some of yourself to everyone else. Take some time for yourself for once. Just you, Chiaki-kun. No one else. Even me, if it helps you."

It pained her to say that, but she had been feeling a bit neglected lately anyway. They were always able to communicate their problems to each other easily, without much resistance.

"There's so many people who still need me-"

"What about me, Chiaki-kun? Did you ever think about how much I need you too?" Arashi almost let her sadness out, but she managed to keep it in. Hearing him speak up after such a long silence eased her worries, but what he said only ignited the fire in her heart. He finally looked up at her like a guilty puppy. Chiaki sat up, his head now lowered in shame.

"I barely see you anymore on the weekends. We barely have time for each other anymore. It feels like we're just roommates again. I fell in love with you because of your personality and how eager you are to look out for others, but when did it become your entire being? And why is it always strangers and not me? Don't lose sight of who you are in pursuit of who you want to be, Chiaki-kun. And...don't forget about the people who love you either."

Arashi knew she was acting selfishly, but she knew if anyone else were in her place, they'd be upset too. What was the point of marrying someone, hoping to spend the rest of her life with him, only for him to designate most of his time to everyone else? What kind of quality time could they have in only a few hours every day? It felt exactly like she was just rooming with someone. It didn't feel like a marriage.

"I love you, my hero. I really do," Arashi caressed his cheek, watching the shame shift with his cautious eyes, "I just want to show you that. We only have two days to ourselves every week. Can I ask for your time for at least one day? If not, can you at least make time for yourself?"

"I'm sorry, my princess," Chiaki kissed at the palm, a hand holding onto hers, "I never realized how much it must have been affecting you. That was selfish of me."

Arashi offered him a hopeful smile. There was some progress. It was slow and painful, but Arashi was ready to work for it. It was in their vows, after all. One of her hands ran through his soft hair again, the other still on his cheek.

"My dearest Chiaki-kun- always the hero, always looking after the hopes and dreams and hearts of everyone who believes in him...but who will be the one who looks after yours? Can’t I offer that to you as your wife?"

The guilt was already working at his tear ducts, but her question really hit it home. Chiaki's tears began to fall now, even as he tried so hard to hold them back. Her thumb wiped a tear away. More followed its trail however. Arashi leaned in to kiss him, Chiaki then falling into her arms as he held her tightly. It was rare for Chiaki to be vulnerable, even around her. She knew what he was dealing with. They both had the same problem, though Chiaki acted on his in a worse manner. It didn't mean he was weak, as he would probably call himself, but rather, he needed to feel needed. As selfish as Arashi felt she was being, what she said most likely helped him. Perhaps she was the one neglecting him too. She wasn't sure how, but that was something they can talk about later.

"You don't need the approval of strangers to feel like you matter, honey," Arashi said as she rubbed his back, "You should never let your happiness be in the hands of others."

At first, Arashi could only hear Chiaki's quiet sobbing into her chest. Listening carefully, she noticed that the rain from earlier that day had picked up again. It made the moment feel peaceful. Were they finally out of their rut? Arashi hugged him closer, not wanting to let him go. She was on the verge of tears herself. Something in her gut told her that tomorrow would be a day dedicated to just them. No extra work brought home, no volunteering, no charities, no strangers to seek approval from. Tomorrow would be their day.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been feeling discouraged to write lately. And I haven't been doing well all month mentally, so I kinda wrote this as a way to let the sadness out.


End file.
